Toshihiro Takami
Encyclopedia
Toshihiro Takami is the founder of the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) in Japan
. Toshihiro was a Christian
pastor
assigned to a disaster relief project in Bangladesh
after the floods of 1970. Discerning a dearth of capable and committed local leaders, he determined to establish an institute dedicated to providing them training and skills to increase their capacity to serve their people. In 1973, he founded the Asian Rural Institute, or ARI.
monastery in Kyoto
. At the age of eighteen, just months before the end of World War II
, he enlisted in the Japanese navy and briefly attended radar
school. In 1951, Takami found work as a cook for a Christian missionary where he began to study Christianity. Soon after, he was baptized. A youth organization in the United States then sponsored him to attend Doane College
in Nebraska
. By 1960, he had earned his bachelor's degree
, graduated from Yale Divinity School
, and become an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ
, Japan.
around small-scale organic farming and animal husbandry.
Although inspired by Christianity, the ARI is not a Christian organization and is ecumenical
in practice. In subsequent years, as the institute's six-hectare
campus north of Tokyo grew with new facilities, men and women from virtually every country in Asia
, and eventually many in Africa
, the Pacific, and the Americas
, joined its unique nine-month rural leaders training course. Toshihiro deliberately kept ARI small, accepting only about thirty participants a year. Yet he cast the institute's net so wide that today over 1,000 graduates are spread across the world.
Takami resigned as ARI director in 1990.
1991 Honorary Doctor of Divinity – St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota
1996 The Ramon Magsaysay Award
for International Understanding (often referred to as the Asian Nobel Peace Prize)
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Toshihiro was a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
assigned to a disaster relief project in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
after the floods of 1970. Discerning a dearth of capable and committed local leaders, he determined to establish an institute dedicated to providing them training and skills to increase their capacity to serve their people. In 1973, he founded the Asian Rural Institute, or ARI.
Early life
Toshihiro youth was sent by his parents to a ZenZen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
monastery in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
. At the age of eighteen, just months before the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he enlisted in the Japanese navy and briefly attended radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
school. In 1951, Takami found work as a cook for a Christian missionary where he began to study Christianity. Soon after, he was baptized. A youth organization in the United States then sponsored him to attend Doane College
Doane College
Doane College is a private liberal arts college in Crete, Nebraska, United States, with additional campuses located in Lincoln and Grand Island.-History:...
in Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. By 1960, he had earned his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, graduated from Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School
Yale Divinity School is a professional school at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. preparing students for ordained or lay ministry, or for the academy...
, and become an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination primarily in the Reformed tradition but also historically influenced by Lutheranism. The Evangelical and Reformed Church and the Congregational Christian Churches united in 1957 to form the UCC...
, Japan.
Tsurukawa Rural Evangelical Seminary and the ARI
Toshihiro taught practical theology and directed the Southeast Asia Christian Rural Leaders' course at the Tsurukawa Rural Evangelical Seminary in Tokyo for ten years, where he eventually designed the institute's curriculumCurriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
around small-scale organic farming and animal husbandry.
Although inspired by Christianity, the ARI is not a Christian organization and is ecumenical
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
in practice. In subsequent years, as the institute's six-hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
campus north of Tokyo grew with new facilities, men and women from virtually every country in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and eventually many in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, the Pacific, and the Americas
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, joined its unique nine-month rural leaders training course. Toshihiro deliberately kept ARI small, accepting only about thirty participants a year. Yet he cast the institute's net so wide that today over 1,000 graduates are spread across the world.
Takami resigned as ARI director in 1990.
Honors and awards
1974 Honorary Doctor of Divinity – Doane College, Crete, Nebraska1991 Honorary Doctor of Divinity – St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota
1996 The Ramon Magsaysay Award
Ramon Magsaysay Award
The Ramon Magsaysay Award is an annual award established to perpetuate former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay's example of integrity in government, courageous service to the people, and pragmatic idealism within a democratic society. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often considered Asia's Nobel...
for International Understanding (often referred to as the Asian Nobel Peace Prize)